The Flip Side
by SaintOfAngst
Summary: Purgatory just became a bit more dangerous when two women are thrown together in order to solve a mystery that's been decimating the Realms of the After Life. Will they be able to see beyond the ancient distrust inherent in their respective Realms and learn to rely on one another? Or will their differences prove too much to overcome? Even Heaven doesn't know. A.U.


...this is the PROLOGUE to my newest story...and before you guys grab stones and start hurling them at me...let me explain...i had to start this story off without any real involvement from either natsuki or shizuru...this little begining...or if you'd allow me to paraphrase...this GENESIS of sorts is an introduction of what is to become the main focus of the story...i needed a moment to set the stage in order for its main characters to become viable...so...that is the only reason i began my work in this fashion...all i ask is that you give it a chance...this is a step away from the angst filled stories i have written or am currently working on now...not that this is a fanciful romp through a field full of flowers either...its just something a bit different...some of you may not approve of the liberties i've taken with certain things...i just remind you that this is a work of fiction...my intent is entertainment only...i do not presume to preach NOR to teach...that being said...any suggestions or feedback on the new story will be greatly appreciated...im a little nervous about writing something not steeped in angst...but i think this first part was pretty good...lol...idk...maybe...

anyway...i hope you enjoy this story...i am already at work on chapter one which shall begin the journey from natsuki's point of view...  
i do not in any way, shape or form hold any rights to the characters...i CAN be held completely liable for the twisted spark of creative imagination which was the seed of this fiction...

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**PROLOGUE**

The sounds of a smoky saxophone permeated the otherwise tranquil setting of the private gaming room in Club Genesis. The room's two occupants, male and female, sat appraising one another over the last hand of poker for the evening. Two drinks sat on either side of the green felt covered table as if standing silent vigil over the mound of poker chips thrown haphazardly in a pile between the players, awaiting the outcome of this last call. It was a winner take all scenario. As it always had been. As it always would be.

With a small sigh, the woman raised her cards to her face, tapping them against a mouth that was too perfect in its symmetry, lips a deep candy apple red, puckered now in contemplative thought. Arching one eyebrow, she a turned her scrutinizing look towards her opponent, weighing, measuring, searching for any sign of a tell that might give her the edge on this last hand.

"Any time now Luci. I haven't got all night for this," the man said, his voice breaking across the silence of the serene setting in a deep, rumbling baritone causing the woman to visibly flinch as the sound shattered her concentration.

"Don't rush me old man!" she shot back, laying her cards down face first on the table before running one hand through a mane of jet black hair. "Besides, you invented 'time'. I'm confident you can manipulate it at your whim, should the need or desire arise." Her voice was sugar-sweetened sarcasm.

"I'm not in the business of time management any longer woman. Once the system was set into play, the sands of time commenced accumulating in the bottom of the hourglass for me as well as..."

A contemptuous snort from the woman interrupted the looming soliloquy. "Give me a break, will ya! No need to ramble off into one of your divine parables. Save it for your bleating flock of sheep. Some of us still DO think outside the box. Or at least we try to!" she finished in a petulant pout.

"Luci!" the man's voice was stern in it's unvoiced warning, yet hidden beneath the one word admonishment was the softness of an overly fond humor.

"Joe!" she hissed back through gritted teeth. "At least give a lady time to think, huh?" she pleaded, snatching her cards back up off the table and fanning them in front of her face. Honey colored eyes scanned the hand in front of her for the best possible play. "I'm sure you can spare enough time for proper poker etiquette. Oh Divine One." she added as an afterthought under her breath.

Laughter met her ears at the whispered remark and Joe countered smoothly, tossing his last chip atop the pile dominating the center of the table. "By all means, go ahead and take your time. Just be warned. You don't have a snowball's chance in..."

"GAH!" cut in Luci, a visible shudder causing her body to tremble in annoyance. "Don't say it. Please, don't say that. How I've come to LOATHE that particular idiom."

Her exclamation was rewarded with a low chuckle from her opponent as he tipped his head towards her in a show of gentlemanly acquiescence. "Touche my dear. Touche." Reaching for his drink, he sipped slowly, enjoying watching the strategies play out on his opponent's face as her eyes darted from her cards, back up to him, desperately trying to decide if he held the winning hand or was just bluffing his way into a victory. A game the two of them had been playing at...for an eternity.

Joe, or rather Jehovah, as his children respectfully addressed him...the artificer of the universe and human kind both...was in attendance at his weekly poker night with. Luci, whom the woman seated across from him preferred to be known as in this day and age, was none other than Lucifer herself; the angel favored by God above all other Seraphim. This fallen angel, now referred to in common colloquialism as the Lord of the Demons, was an opinionated, free-thinking immortal who had nevertheless conspired against her creator's providential will an eternity ago with her ill conceived plan of staging a heavenly revolution. And yet, even after the Judgment of the Unjust and the subsequent banishment from heaven for her and her followers, Jehovah could not find it in his heart to shun her completely. Lucifer had been and always would remain, his only weakness...and his only failure.

He allowed himself a private smile as his eyes roamed across the table and settled on the face of the woman, the exasperating thorn in his side..his friend and his nemesis. She was nothing like the grotesque monster modern day theology and mythology had painted her. No horns sticking out of her head. No cloven hooves on her feet. No curled tail protruding from her derriere. Instead, she was blessed with a beauty unimagined except in the eyes of a God. Perfect figure with a complexion to make the lilies of the valley weep in envy. A luxurious mane of jet black hair crowned her head, the ends styled to turn up prettily against her shoulders. Her feet were shod in the latest fashion from _Down_ _Under_, a posh clothing store popular here in Purgatory with the fashion conscious demon. And as far as the urban legend regarding the tail, the only thing behind Luci tonight was a zipper snaking its way up the back of the tight, red leather skirt she'd worn.

"What cha looking at big guy? See something you like?" she purred, her voice liquid velvet poured over melting ice, a casual comment that to her amusement, had the desired effect on her opponent.

With an embarrassed cough, Joe dropped his gaze from her smoldering look and pulled his cards up off the table, perusing the suites he had lined up in front of him for the hundredth time in a vain effort to appear nonchalant and unaffected by her sexual mien. "Just awaiting the lady's pleasure."

A knowing chuckle from Luci caused the man's eyebrows to lower, shadowing his eyes as a frown eclipsed his face.

"Which by the way needs to find its fruition in this round. Sometime this millennium would be appreciated. You and I do have some business to settle tonight as well." His voice was gruff in self-rebuke at being caught off guard by Lucifer's flirtatious nature.

"Yes Master. I hear and obey," she teased, flicking her last two poker chips atop the pile with a careless air of devil may care bravado.

Giving his face a final search for any evidence of whether or not he was bluffing, Luci felt the corner of her mouth quirk up into an impish grin. This man sitting across from her tonight, trying as he so often did to mask the love he felt for her, was the antithesis of the God popular belief esteemed him to be. Rather than the grandfatherly figure with snow white hair, clothed in robes of power and might, a thunderbolt clutched in one hand, the staff of judgment in the other, Jehovah was a rather nondescript looking deity. Your typical Average Joe. He had a thick mop of sand colored hair, artfully disheveled yet attractive in a cavalier sort of way. His eyes were the color of a midnight glacier, a cool, ice blue that sparkled with an affectionate humor. His clothes were nondescript; a pair of khaki slacks topped with a mocha colored sweater. _Probably off the rack_, Luci mused silently, watching his strong jaw clench in agitation at her continued reluctance to call or fold.

Any discomfort she could elicit from him tonight would only be in her favor. Joe had the patience of a saint in most things...most things excluding her. How it rankled him to be at her mercy during their poker games. Her contemplative and slow manner of play was instigated only to annoy him, thus providing her with an advantage. When he became restless at her continued reluctance to commit to a hand, as he always did, he left his poker face unguarded causing his chagrin to present itself in small tells. Tells that sometimes awarded her the winning hand of an evening. Which Luci was hoping to gain tonight. If memory served her correctly, it had been many weeks since she could claim victory at the poker table. Coupled with the trouble brewing on the horizon these past few months, an accomplishment as simple as a win tonight might make her feel better. Or, maybe not. They still had the details of this plan to negotiate after the game.

"LUCI!" Joe challenged loudly, the timbre of his voice causing the poker chips to shift violently atop their pile. "Either call or fold. We need to get on with..."

"Call!" she croaked, responding to the commanding tone of his voice without thought. Trying not to grimace at her own display of servitude, she shrugged one thin shoulder and countered in a voice less strained, "I call." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Luci cringed. She hadn't meant to blurt out her intent just yet. But as always happened when dealing with the Almighty One, even in a hand of poker, one tended to obey without rationalization. Even after all these centuries, submission still flowed through her immortal veins, pulling at her like a leash.

An astute smile crawled across the lines on Joe's face. "Call it is," he confirmed, tossing his five cards atop the pile of waiting chips, leaning back in his chair, big hands laced behind his head in a relaxed and confident pose. "Straight Flush."

Unable to control the disappointed grunt his revelation elicited, Lucifer placed her cards face down on the table and exhaled. "Congratulations. It seems as if you've won...yet again!"

"Show your cards," the victor demanded, curious to know just what she had been holding on to during these last moments of the game.

"NO!" she snapped. "The point is moot now anyway so, NO!"

Reaching out and snatching her cards right out from under her nose, Joe gave a very unsportsmanlike guffaw of laughter. "All this time and this...THIS was what you were counting on to beat me with." Mirth gleamed in his eyes as he fanned her cards out in front of his pile of winnings, gloating. "Nothing but a lousy three of a kind. Now that's rich! You were never one to admit defeat easily Luci, but three of a kind? Really?"

"Hells Bells! It's not that amusing!" she shouted, anger twisting inside her like a thing alive, painting twin spots of color on her perfect cheekbones. She pushed away from the table with a huff, the sound of his pleased merriment following her as she made her way over to the double window looking out over the midnight landscape of Purgatory City. She hated to lose but she absolutely detested being made sport of. Eyes turned towards the city spread out beneath her, the anger so quick to flare at his gentle chiding was just as swift to cool down as a mischievous fancy took root. "If I didn't know any better, I could almost swear you were cheating."

The sound of a chair being scraped across the floor met her ears as she felt, rather than saw, the man fate had linked her existence to, push quietly up behind her, his silhouette a misty halo reflected in the window pane as he shared her view of the city. She didn't jump when one big hand came tentatively up and landed like a gently falling leaf on her shoulder. "There's always next week." His voice was warm, compassionate, a father's voice, encouraging yet not promising.

She leaned her warm cheek against his hand. A momentary truce between the two of them. "Yes. There is always hope for anything to happen, even the improbable; here in Purgatory."

The two most powerful beings in the universe shared a stolen moment of peace, each wrapped in their own introspective concerns of the impending conversation. For down there in the city, in the streets and alleys, in the clubs and temples, in the mix of angels and demons, a shadow was taking shape. An ominous ill wind had begun to blow through Purgatory and both Jehovah and Lucifer found themselves in a situation neither had, in their wildest nightmares, imagined to face. Together or alone. And yet tonight, both the Realm of Light and the Realm of Darkness must, for the first time since The Exile, work together to solve a disturbing mystery that had even the creator himself confounded.

Purgatory City, or The Flipside as the Realmers had nicknamed it, was the only place in the universe, both physical and metaphysical, where demons and angels could coexist. It was a city at once beautiful yet oh so wicked in its darker possibilities.

The way the afterlife had been devised, human kind's immortal soul wound up in either one of two places upon earthly death. Heaven, whose capital city was Tranquilium, or Hell, the capital of that dark realm called Pandamonium. Human beings held the choice of their afterlife experiences in their own hands ONLY while possession of their immortal soul was still enshrined within their mortal bodies. The way humanity chose to live out the lives God had granted them, was the only determining factor in where their journey into the afterlife took the soul upon death. Adhere to the rules institutionalized and laid out in fundamental theology by studying The Book and believing the inspired words held sacred within its pages, and your soul was granted instantaneous access to the Heavenly Realm. Ignore the warnings and instructions of the holy tome, embracing the sin inherent in the human gene and one quickly found themselves on the path to self destruction. Which ultimately led to that soul's journey into the Dark Realm. The cessation of earthly existence was finite. No one got a second chance. One life. One soul. One afterlife.

On the flip side of that metaphysical duality of immortality lay Purgatory City.

"Ya know, all this would've been a lot easier if you hadn't left that little loophole in creation," Luci quipped, watching a streak of lightning lacing the under bellies of the night clouds with electric color.

Both Realms, as well as Purgatory City, had cyclic weather; mirroring the patterns instigated on earth. It left the big guy's schedule clear of all weather related occurrences both in the afterlife and in the physical world. Since the flood, God had abstained from involving himself in the weather patterns of his creations. If it rained, one simply got wet or carried an umbrella. He just wasn't interested in that sort of micro management any longer.

Luci's statement, regardless of its voiced softness, stabbed at Joe's heart like a poisoned dagger. He dropped his hand from her shoulder and ran his fingers through his hair, barely swallowing a heavy sigh. "At the time of creation, I saw no need of incorporating a system of checks and balances for my own army of angels. If I had," his blue eyes narrowed as he stared hard at the back of her head, "If I had done as you suggested, and allowed myself the insight into my own angel's minds, well, let's just say that certain occurrences would've yielded a much altered destiny for you!"

Feeling his gaze continuing to drill into the back of her head, Luci shrugged uncomfortably. In a nervous attempt to play down his incriminating comment, she tried a coquettish giggle; but instead of the coy sound she'd aimed for, it came out sounding more like a choked cough. She felt an embarrassed flush creep up her neck and quickly tried to shift the topic of conversation with a haughty toss of her head. "Well regardless of all that ancient history, what do you suggest we do about this little problem?"

However, God wasn't finished venting just yet. "If only I had placed the immortal souls coming into the Afterlife under the same type of authoritative control they are blanketed with while on Earth..."

"Whose to say it's even an Earthly Immortal who is perpetrating this crime? I understand you can't keep tabs on those entering the twin Realms after death, but maybe it's not one of the EIMs. There is simply a lack of evidence linking anything to an Earthly Immortal soul. Perhaps you have another...dare I say it, rouge Seraphim on your hands." She hadn't intended for her observation to come across so condescendingly flip, and yet even though she felt a slight sting of remorse at knowing how much pain her comment caused, it was the number one agreed upon idea she and her administration had been mulling over in Pandamonium for the past few months now.

"No!" was Joe's immediate answer. "I will not believe it."

"Not even of Michael?" The question was almost inaudible, but the unvoiced allegation was louder than any shout.

"Never Michael!" The voice that echoed within the walls of the game room was the voice of the Almighty. Commanding, demanding. A voice that rumbled its displeasure like an avalanche. A warning for all to beware. To take cover and go no further. The decree of the Omega.

But Lucifer had always been the only Seraphim of God's design who could stand up beneath his displeasure and voice her own opinions. It was her only fault in his eyes. In her eyes, it was her crowning glory. Brown orbs tracked the first splatter of rain as it bounced against the window pane and ran slowly down the glass. Stealing herself against the outrage she was sure to be handed upon her next comment, she tentatively continued her train of thought. "I know your love for Michael and even I admire the Seraphim for his unwavering loyalty throughout the ages. But, perhaps, for suppositions sake, he and some of the Hand Of God archons have grown weary of their vigilance awaiting the Return."

"I would believe it of ANYONE other than Michael!" God bellowed. A protracted silence followed this righteous proclamation before he continued. "I would even believe it of you...before I would believe it of the Archangel." The last was stated with such an abject sadness that without preamble Luci whirled away from the window and grabbed one of Jehovah's hands between both of hers.

"Although that wounds me beyond words to describe, I do deserve it. However, you must know I will NEVER rise up against you again! I..."

A sad smile graced the corner of his mouth as God replied, "We both know that you WILL rise up again Luci. It was written..."

"Pffft!" she replied giving his hand a squeeze, trying to shake off the sense of deja vu his allegation sparked. "Don't believe everything you read in a Book."

Realizing how uncomfortable this prophesy made her, Joe let the subject drop and returned his attention to the problem of the moment, pushing all concerns of the tribulation back into the recesses of his mind. "My Ministry of Saints has come up with a tentative proposition for dealing with this situation here in Purgatory City. They have advocated sending in a neophyte Earthly Immortal to investigate the disappearances. As you are quite aware, a Seraphim, whether angel or demon, has no true power in Purgatory. Therefore..."

Lucifer reciprocated this statement with an eye roll coupled with a shake of her head. "Yet another loophole you neglected to seal when..."

Stuffing his hands in the pockets of his pants to keep from throttling the woman and her nitpicking observations, he continued unabated, "THEREFORE it was of the Ministry of Saint's unanimous opinion that said EIM be recruited from our respective Realms forces. Tranquilium shall send a Daeva from the Above World Forces to work in conjunction with a Daeva from Pandamonium's Under World Forces. Combining our resources and Intel we have a much better chance of discovering just what in Unholy Hades is happening to our respective Realmers."

Blinking away her surprise upon hearing God's slip of the vernacular, Lucifer nodded her agreement. "Yes. Hell's Coven of Nine proposed a similar recommendation to me just this morning. Although I had my misgivings about assigning this case to a neophyte. The inexperience..."

"The inexperience of the fledgling Earthly Immortal is what I'm entrusting our success upon Luci. Both Daevas will be less inclined to falter under preconceived prejudices. With open minds and a desire to raise their status in the Realms, I think this is the best plan of action at our disposal. Working in conjunction with one another on the case, together they can cover the entire city. Otherwise," Joe shrugged, his shoulders rising and falling on a dispirited breath. "Otherwise, over half the city and its inhabitants would remain unwelcoming and unwilling to aid a member of the other Realm in this matter. Even if it were in their own best interests to do so."

Luci couldn't help herself from one last gibe at Joe's expense. Making a circular motion with one finger, she stopped just shy of closing the figure in the air and smiled, batting her lashes innocently.

"Yes I KNOW!" God growled, disliking the reminder of his mistakes...however few there had been throughout history. "The loophole in Purgatory has proved problematic. Unfortunately, to remedy that situation and seal up the fault, I would be forced to UNCREATE! And that is something I am unwilling to contemplate undertaking. We shall just have to work...around the problem of being unable to keep tabs on the residents of Purgatory City. Our eyes and ears must derive from the daevas themselves." Joe couldn't stop a self deprecating laugh. "The God of All Things, reduced to sitting on his throne in Heaven awaiting the help of a neophyte soul. My son will NEVER let me hear the end of this!"

Walking back over to the poker table to retrieve her handbag, she gave the pile of Joe's winnings a disgruntled huff, before swaying her hips provocatively to the door. "Twelve of Hell's denizens. Demons from all walks of the Under World's afterlife, have gone missing in the past six months. Just...vanished. If they were anywhere in Hell, the UWF could easily locate them. Lost in Purgatory?" she sighed, one hand on her hip, the other held up in an empty gesture. "I need closure on these disappearances. My REALM demands it of me!"

Joe returned to the poker table, sliding the chips off into one big hand before absentmindedly depositing them into a pocket. "Twenty three of my Angels are missing. Twenty-three! No trace of why or where. Just...gone! And I have no way of...of..." Despair filled his blue eyes as he shook his head in a sense of helpless worry.

Reading the frustrating grief surrounding him, wanting to comfort him but unsure in her own insecurities how best to achieve it, Luci reached up and began to play with the medallion hanging from a rope of gold chains around her neck. "Hey. We'll find out what's going on. We're the two most powerful forces in the universe. How could we NOT succeed?"

Giving her attempt at bolstering his downwardly spiraling mood a smile, he took a cleansing breath and replied. "Of course we shall. Once you determine the UWF Daeva you'll be assigning this case to, let my courier here in Purgatory City know. He will deliver the dossier to me. I've already left the portfolio containing information on the AWF Daeva I've selected with your own courier. Angel Third Class Natsuki Kuga of the Above World Forces should be receiving her summons sometime tomorrow. She will be my rep here on the Flip Side." A fond smile pulled at the corners of his mouth."She's raw, opinionated, undisciplined and unfailingly faithful. Reminds this old man of someone he knew long, long ago."

Slipping her handbag over one thin shoulder, Luci chewed her bottom lip, the shine of her white teeth momentarily intensified in the flash of lightning as the storm outside sent a crescendo of thunder into the room. "As to that, I wouldn't know. I'm not as old as you!" She grinned jovially before continuing. "I'd be happy to send you my attache's dossier. I took the liberty of selecting two delegates upon hearing the recommendation from the Coven Of Nine. One with considerable more experience than the other. However, I now concur with your general assessment that the neophyte's service will be of more value in this undertaking. I'll have my office shoot the information over to your courier tonight. Third Hierarchy Demon Fujino, newly sanctioned acolyte of the Under World Forces, will be indispensable in this undertaking. Like your candidate she is relatively new to the Realm. Enthusiastic, dedicated and wickedly intelligent."

"Excellent. I am well pleased."

"Such a cliché answer!" Lucifer snorted, pulling open the door to their private gaming room and stepping out into the brightly lit corridor. "Honestly though, do you truly have faith that our two factions can work together on this? It will be the first time in recorded, as well as unrecorded, history that angels and demons have had common cause to unite on any issue in the After Life. Centuries of animosity and hate have been kept alive down there on the streets of Purgatory. We're asking a lot from a couple of..."

"They MUST find a way to work together. If not, all may become lost." Seeing the worry creeping up in the lines on her forehead, Joe managed to pull a smile from his down turned lips, trying to lighten the burden on both their shoulders. "Just make sure the Daeva you've chosen is reliable. This predicament is too important for egos and trust issues to get in the way, thus marring our investigation."

Narrowing her eyes in feigned irritation at his insinuation, Luci pulled the purse up higher on her shoulder and replied in mock seriousness. "Hey! Just who in the Hell do you think you're talking to old man?"

"Precisely!" was the amused rejoinder.


End file.
